3 Things To Do To Have Spiritual Endurance

by Raymund Tamayo

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” Romans 12:12

Let's face it. This COVID-19 situation has the tendency to affect our temper and disposition in a lot of negative ways.

Fake news, food shortages, joblessness, worry of home invasion, fear of dying, and a lot more can do that to you.

How then can we keep our circumstances from affecting our mindset? What does it take to still live with joy amidst these tough and challenging times?

The answer is spiritual endurance.

3 Things To Do To Have Spiritual Endurance

Romans 12:12 says three things we should do in order to have spiritual endurance.

1. Be joyful in hope. In a previous post, we've talked about how to consider our trials pure joy by realizing that these rough moments train us to persevere, make us more mature, and that the worth of this maturity is far greater than the convenience of having a life without trials.

As Christians, our joy is anchored in our hope in Christ. Because of that, we know that no matter what happens, dead or alive, we will be with Christ in the end.

1 Peter 1:3 said in God's great mercy, He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. This hope and inheritance can never perish, spoil, or fade.

When we have a healthy personal relationship with God through Jesus, this hope is in us. Through it we can be joyful no matter what our situation is. The key is to continue to cultivate this relationship, make it deeper and more intimate.

2. Be patient in affliction. Affliction is something or anything that causes a lot of pain and suffering. For a new Christian, it may come as a surprise that you may still experience affliction even after receiving Christ in your life as your personal Lord and Savior.

The thing is we are still here in this fallen world and we are not exempted from experiencing it as a whole, both good and bad. The world is not made for anyone's convenience, and we are still prone to bad circumstances.

Also, bad things are often times a result of foolish actions, so it is another thing we need to reflect on.

The bottom line is Christ did not promise an affliction-free life. What He said is for us to have peace amidst these troubles because He has overcome the world (John 16:33).

Two chapters before that, Jesus told His disciples to not let their hearts be troubled and to trust in Him. That means the key to be patient in affliction is to continue to trust God.

3. Be faithful in prayer. This opens the door for the first two to become true. We can be joyful in hope and patient in affliction if we are faithful in prayer.

We can remain happy or joyful in these trying times because we express our hope to God while praying. We can remain patient in affliction, persevering through calamity or malady, because we have already presented our requests to God with thanksgiving. 

The third commandment in this verse is perhaps the most important of the three. Therefore, the key to spiritual endurance itself is to have constant communication with God. 

Prayer is one of God's greatest gifts to us. His lines are open all the time and He is always ready to listen to us.

Final Words

A consistent prayer time allows us to be joyful and patient despite of what is happening around us. It makes us happy and persevering even when things are not going well.

Let us ask God to grow our joy, patience, and prayer life even more amidst this time of crisis. We need these three. Now more than ever.